Baked Vegan Latkes
Photo credit Amaya Green.
No Hanukkah meal would be complete without latkes, or potato pancakes. Of Eastern European origin and traditionally made with eggs, we use ground flax seeds to hold it all together. Please see below for a few of the many variations that are possible. Take a break from spinning the dreidel and serve with Vegan Sour cream (recipe below) or apple sauce.
Baked Vegan Latkes
Makes 8 large Latkes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 large russet potato, peeled and grated (2 cups)
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water or 3 tablespoons egg alternative like JUST
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, (optional)
1/4 teaspoon paprika, try smoked
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a baking sheet well. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. You can speed this process up by using the grater attachment on a food processor for the potatoes. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mixture for each latke on to the prepared baking sheet. Flatten to about 1/4- inch thick. Bake for 8 minutes.
Flip the pancakes and bake, until golden brown, about 8 minutes, before serving.
Variations
For traditional latkes, you can fry the pancakes in a liberal amount of oil. Cook until both sides are golden brown, about 5 minutes, pressing down with a spatula and flipping occasionally to ensure even coating. Place on a paper towel after frying, to absorb some of the oil.Soak 1 dried guajillo chile in hot water until soft. Deseed, chop, and add to chili along with tomatoes.
Make smaller latkes by using 2 tablespoons, instead of 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake.
Replace 1 cup of grated potato with grated sweet potato or yam.
Add 1 tablespoon of minced fresh dill, parsley, or basil.
Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped green onion.
Add 1 pressed or minced garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon of seeded and diced chile pepper.
Add 1/2 cup of peeled and grated parsnip or carrot.
Create Italian latkes by adding 1 tablespoon of Italian Spice Mix.
Go Mexican by adding 1 tablespoon of minced fresh cilantro and 1 teaspoon each of chile powder and ground cumin.
Add 1/2 cup of grated vegan cheddar or mozzarella-style cheese for an over-the-top latke experience.
Vegan Sour Cream
Ingredients
½ cup vegan mayonaisse such as Vegenaise original
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.